Dear Frances, I am so glad you have settled in at university and are beginning to make some friends. Dad and I miss you very much, or course, and look forward to the holidays when we have our little girl back again. The house will then become a home once more. It will take time to get used to your new surroundings, but once you've got some posters and pictures on the walls, your room will begin to feel more like home.

Remember your old room? How the walls were covered with pop stars and surrealistic art? Well, when we took them all down, half the plaster came down with them. Never mind, we redecorated the room, and it looks lovely. We took down the black tiles from the ceiling and scraped the psychedelic carpet off the floor, and have done it all in lemon and white. You will notice the difference when you come home.

It's so quiet without you around. Of course there is not so much for me to do – only two loads of washing a week instead of every day, and the house remains just as it was when I left in the morning, so there's not so much cleaning. I find, therefore, that I have tremendous energy nowadays and can do lots of things I haven't be able to do for ages, so at least that's one small consolation. But of course it doesn't make up for not having you around the house.

And your friends – how we miss your friends coming and going as if they lived here. It was wonderful to know they felt so at home and miss stepping over the bodies in the lounge on Sunday mornings. And the music, yes, the music. We have rooted out some of our old LPs and sometimes spend a nostalgic evening listening to them. Of course they are nothing like your lively jungle music that used to entertain the whole neighbourhood.

I also have more time on my hands in the evenings, now that I don't have to run you about to discos, parties, etc. Sometimes I felt like a taxi driver.

I have started evening classes and dad and I go to the theatre and cinema quite regulalry now.

But we do miss you terribly. I no longer lie awake half the night waiting for the turn of your key in the lock before being able to relax and go to sleep. And I do miss having to call you eight or nine times in the mornings before you would get up.

Take care of yourself and enjoy yourself which you have the opportunity. We look forward to seeing you soon. Lots of love, Mum and Dad.